3 reasons to try alcohol therapy

You don’t want to settle for a humdrum relationship with alcohol

There’s a misconception that anyone who seeks alcohol therapy is either an alcoholic or has a substantial drink problem. Women don’t always arrive in therapy after a major disaster such as a drink driving incident or the threat of their partner leaving them unless they quit the booze. Many times there’s nothing tangible that’s wrong with their drinking but there’s not much that’s right either; akin to settling in a romantic relationship which is comfortable but without spark or growth. Often the starting point for therapy is a feeling of malaise about doing what you’ve always done and getting what you’ve always got. An anxiety that arises when you have an emerging awareness that if you carry on drinking as you do then you may be missing out on opportunities to develop yourself and your relationships. It may be time to seek therapy if your relationship with alcohol is preventing you from making a good life great.

You want a different experience than talking to a friend

Talking with a friend who listens and engaging in professional psychotherapy are two distinct activities each with their own purposes and benefits; they are not comparable but each valuable in their own right. It can be extremely cathartic to speak with a good friend or family member and this connection is extremely comforting. Therapy on the other hand may be uncomfortable at times; a therapist does not offer advice or tell you what to do but encourages independent thinking and self-reflection. This can be frustrating if you want someone to ‘fix you’ or wave a magic wand to make everything better however in the long run this works; the therapist’s aim is for you not to need them anymore and to equip you with the tools to solve any future issues. A therapist is unbiased and objective as they have no emotional attachment to you, you can explore areas of your self or life that you are unhappy with without fear of upsetting another. Conversely, friends often do or say things that you will like, whereas part of a therapist’s job is to challenge you and to help you uncover any blind spots, which may be a difficult process. Overall, in therapy you have the undivided attention of the therapist who is working to help you feel better and to move toward change.

You feel ready to make a change

You feel ready but you don’t know where to start or what to do. You may have tried to change before on your own but these changes were short-lived and you became disheartened. Working with a professional therapist can help to manage your expectations so you don’t become self critical if you aren’t seeing/feeling immediate results. Change happens at a different pace for everyone and one of the most important factors is that you don’t give up. For therapy to work you have to be an active participant as it is a two way process. The therapist cannot change you, only you can do that. The therapy room is a place to practice change prior to applying it to other areas of your life, for example if you feel socially anxious without a drink the therapy room can be a place to practice being assertive or if drink helps you relax, the therapy room can be a place to practice relaxation skills. Your readiness to change fluctuates and is impeded by life circumstances, don’t let the moment pass you by, if you’re ready to change, get in touch.